Michelle Malkin » Obama’s Kabuki summit invitation: Just say no

Obama’s Kabuki summit invitation: Just say no

By Michelle Malkin • February 8, 2010 11:37 AM

Please.

The White House spends a full year trashing Republicans for having no ideas on health care reform.

The White House spend a full year promising transparency while subverting it.

And now, after a year’s worth of closed backroom meetings and midnight holiday weekend legislative sessions in which Republicans had severely curtailed ability to offer amendments, President Obama wants to invite them to a televised health care summit to talk about the GOP alternatives he said didn’t exist?

Please:

President Obama said Sunday that he would convene a half-day bipartisan health care session at the White House to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse.

Mr. Obama made the announcement in an interview on CBS during the Super Bowl pre-game show, capitalizing on a vast television audience. He set out a plan that would put Republicans on the spot to offer their own ideas on health care and show whether both sides are willing to work together.

“I want to come back and have a large meeting, Republicans and Democrats, to go through systematically all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward,” Mr. Obama said in the interview from the White House Library.

Mr. Obama challenged Republicans to attend the meeting with their plans for lowering the cost of health insurance and expanding coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans. Republican leaders said they welcomed the opportunity and called on Democrats to start the debate from scratch, which the president said he would not do.

The move by Mr. Obama comes after weeks in which the administration has appeared uncertain about how to proceed on his top domestic priority since Republicans captured the Senate seat previously held by Senator Edward M. Kennedy. House and Senate Democrats had been increasingly at odds over what the bill should say, how to move ahead tactically and, in some cases, whether to continue at all.

The idea for the bipartisan meeting, set for Feb. 25, was reached in recent weeks, aides said, as part of the White House strategy to intensify its push to engage Congressional Republicans in policy negotiations, share the burden of governing and put more scrutiny on Republican initiatives.

Unlike the question-time session with Republicans, the White House political machine will be in full control of the staging.

Republicans should feel zero obligation to participate in yet another White House health care dog-and-pony show:

Just say no.

If Obama really wants to learn about GOP health care reform plans, he can look them up online, where they have been for months.

Here is Sen. Jim Demint’s Health Care Freedom Plan.

And here is the Patients’ Choice Act of Sens. Coburn and Burr and Reps. Ryan and Nunes.

And here is House GOP leader Boehner’s health care reform page.

Obama has enough human stage props to feed his ego and advance his agenda.

Republicans should not be a party to it.

***

Here’s an idea: Republicans can tell Obama they’ll participate in his health care summit after he provides transcripts of his backroom meetings with Big Labor/SEIU.

***

Karl in the Green Room: “Having the GOP in for a debate after Democrats draft a ‘final bill,’ similar to that virtually universally rejected by Republicans is absurd, which ought to be among the main points Republicans make if — as appears to be the case — they choose to attend.”

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#101

On February 9th, 2010 at 2:55 am, Dhuka said:

NO health care bill means NO health care bill.

Republicans should not join the scam to place all the blame on Republicans.

The democrats don’t know that for the American people, NO means NO!
#102

On February 9th, 2010 at 6:57 am, Mach1Duck said:

Mr. Obama challenged Republicans to attend the meeting with their plans for lowering the cost of health insurance and expanding coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans.
The answer is to create jobs that pay well and put these people to work. If they wont work, they are on their own, no food stamps, no housing, no medical, and definetly no tax dollars.
#103

On February 9th, 2010 at 8:09 am, MtsEdge said:

On February 8th, 2010 at 12:33 pm, J S Ragman said:
President Obama said Sunday that he would convene a half-day bipartisan health care session at the White House to be televised live this month,
OK, take out time for coffee breaks, teleprompter repairs, head calls, and the obligatory phot op, and what have we got left, 15, 20 minutes?

Not to mention that if BHO had kept his lame promise to publicize the debates on C-SPAN, there would be no need for a “televised half-day summit”.

Half a day to discuss something of this magnitude would be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic.

Also, as one poster aptly pointed out, it’s not BHO’s role to initiate or shape debate on this topic. That is the job of our so-called representatives in Congress.
#104

On February 9th, 2010 at 9:07 am, Misscheryl said:

Actually, the repubs must take him up on his offer but use it as a opportunity to get their message out before the American people and show Obama up for what an empty suite he is. Whether they can pull it off is another story. The thought is scary.
#105

On February 9th, 2010 at 9:31 am, vickisoup said:

This is an opportunity for the Republican lawmakers to put up or shut up, and they should seize it. List their ideas:
1) Tort reform
2) No cancelation for getting sick
3) No exclusions for pre-existing conditions
4) Buy insurance across state lines
5) Tort reform
6) Tort reform
7) Tort reform
***
Refusing to attend will play right into the hands of the left who say that the GOP offers no ideas. Get in front of the cameras, offer these ideas, and watch Obama squirm.
It’s time for the GOP to show some leadership. Leadership includes attending a meeting and setting the tone; not running from it.
If the GOP doesn’t take the lead in ending the gridlock, we don’t deserve to gain any seats.
#106

On February 9th, 2010 at 10:32 am, Peddler said:

I sincerely hope Republicans understand just what this really is. IT IS A SETUP!!! Pure and simple, a staged event to make them look like damn fools and complete idiots. This event has been planned with Democrats AND the media, who is so totally in the pocket of Obama, they cannot be separated.

This staged event will be used for campaign sound bites for Democrats in the upcoming elections. Republicans need to remember that you NEVER go into the enemy’s camp when vastly outnumbered to negotiate or fight. By attending this event, Republicans will be giving away any advantage they have.

JUST SAY NO UNLESS IT WILL BE TELEVISED BY FOX!!!